Eric's Story
by Suki59
Summary: A follow-up to Taking Action from Eric's point of view. Number 3 in my vamp series. If you haven't done so, please read my stories Thoughts in the Night and Taking Action before starting Eric's Story. Then enjoy the next in the series, One Year Later.
1. Chapter 1

Charlaine Harris owns the rights to all of this.

A/N: This story is the third in my series. I hope you have enjoyed Thoughts in the Night and Taking Action before starting Eric's Story. Enjoy!

Sookie and I couldn't have had a better vacation together. We spent two weeks on Pawley's Island with no outside distractions, and were able to get closer than ever. I can't remember when I was last so relaxed. In a way, I hated to see our little utopia come to an end, but then I thought it would be good to incorporate our newfound closeness into our regular lives. I needed to get back to Fangtasia and help Pam. She had been really invaluable to me once again and had handled the remodeling perfectly, but she was tired and I was rejuvenated, so I was anxious to help her out.

Sookie and I arrived back at the Shreveport airport at around 4 a.m. We picked my car up from long term parking, and started home. I wanted her to stay at my house and she did seem curious about seeing it, but she decided that she wanted to wake up in her own bed so she could be home for the day the next day and not stuck at my house (even though I told her she could take the car). I reluctantly drove her to Bon Temps and only had time for a few passionate kisses before heading back to my house. I just couldn't face tiptoeing past her sleeping roommate to spend the day in that cramped closet space.

On the way home, I gave some serious thought to creating another space where I could sleep in Sookie's house. Of course, I really want us to live together, but I thought of her statement on the beach that she wasn't ready to talk about that yet. That was only a week or so ago, so chances are she still isn't ready. I pulled into my garage and sped upstairs, cutting it pretty close before dying for the day.

I called Sookie when I first woke up. It had only been one day, but I missed her already. I wished I could just walk into the next room and find her waiting for me like I'd done at the beach. I could tell she was upset and asked her right away what was wrong. Her lowlife brother was missing. What good is that asshole to anyone? Apparently when she called to tell him she was home, she got a busy signal, and only his voicemail when she called his cell. Then his ex wife called and said she went to his house after two weeks of not hearing from him and it looked ransacked, so she called the police. There was no sign of forced entry, and the police seemed to think that Jason may simply be MIA and off with some new woman (apparently they knew him pretty well). But they did open an investigation. I told Sookie not to worry, that we would find him (and I may just have to wring his scrawny little red neck for worrying Sookie).

I hung up and called Compton to send him over to Hotshot to check things out. I knew that those weres took pretty good care of their own and may know what happened and would be more likely to tell a threatening vampire than the local police. Then I dressed quickly and drove to the bar.

Pam was already there and the renovations were coming along nicely. I could see that it would all look great when it was finished which they predicted would be in another week or so. I went into my office to catch up on paperwork, and Pam followed me in and sat across from my desk.

"What?"

"You're not going to like it." I motioned for her to continue. I was already wishing that I was back at the beach. "DeCastro wants you to go to Las Vegas right away." Fuck. "Because he can't claim a percentage of zero, which is what the bar has made for the last two weeks, he wants to discuss a lump sum payment for this month."

"He couldn't fucking text me the number? Does he not have a fucking cell phone? Computer? He seriously needs me to fly there to tell me a fucking number?"

"I am sorry Master. There's something else."

"Yes?"

"He asked me about Sookie's brother." That got my attention. "He said that he had heard she has a brother and asked if he shared her gifts. I told him that his only gift was a lovely ass, and that beyond that he was pretty much a worthless ass, and that no he definitely was not anyone that would be of any use to us."

I told Pam that the useless ass may be missing and that I had Compton looking into it. I could tell what we were both thinking and it wasn't good.

I praised her for the work on the bar and regretted to tell her that I couldn't take over because I had to get my very annoyed ass to Las Vegas. I booked a ticket online and drove home to retrieve my still-packed suitcase before driving back to the airport. I called Sookie from the car and told her that I had to go to Vegas to see DeCastro on vampire business and relayed Pam's conversation to her. She started crying, but I told her not to worry. If DeCastro has taken Jason, it won't take long for him to learn that he is worthless to us. At the very worst, he may be held and glamored to be a donor and a sex toy for awhile, but then I could most likely bring him back unharmed. I told Sookie that it was unlikely that he would be held for any kind of ransom since DeCastro could demand anything from me at any time without a hostage. She calmed down a little. I told her that I sent Compton to Hotshot, and she said she had spoken to her friend Calvin over there and he had no information. Apparently she trusts this man to be forthcoming with her, and the fact that he knew nothing made my suspicions about DeCastro seem more on target. I told Sookie not to worry and that I loved her and would take care of it. I hung up hoping I was right.


	2. Chapter 2

I left a message with DeCastro's people that I was on my way as I boarded the plane. I had a plane change in Los Angeles, but the layover was brief. I had a text from Compton that he hit a dead end in Hotshot, and would continue his investigation. Shit.

When I arrived at DeCastro's hotel and casino, I was reminded what a gaudy bastard he is. It was called Blood Palace and it took up two city blocks. I walked into the huge lobby and sitting in the center up on a high podium was a golden throne, not unlike the one I sat in in my own bar many nights. There was a huge black vampire sitting in it looking intimidating to the humans but pretty bored to me. He was shirtless and handsome with a shaved head and glaring green eyes. I returned his nearly imperceptible nod and went to the desk to check in.

Of course I had to pass rows of loud slot machines to get to the elevators. Even at this late hour, the casino was full of desperate humans, all hoping to win money. I rode up to the sixty-first floor and found my room. I still had almost an hour before dawn, but knew that it was too late to call Pam because of the time change. I didn't want to wake Sookie, so I texted her: Arrived Blood Palace rm. 6102. Compton has learned nothing, will continue tonight. Let me know what you learn today. I miss and love you.

I unpacked and watched TV until dawn took me.

When I woke the next night, I ordered a True Blood from room service and showered and dressed. I called Sookie as I waited for my blood and she was upset at having learned nothing all day about Jason. I tried to console her and said that I would be meeting with DeCastro very soon and would call or text her as soon as I learned any news. Then I change the subject and told her how much I missed our beach house already and how much I missed her. I kept her on the phone when my blood arrived and sat back on the bed to sip my meal while I listened to my beautiful Sookie's voice. It was almost as good as having her there with me.

I hung up and finished my True Blood as I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to a beautiful blonde woman about twenty five years old, dressed in a low-cut navy blue dress. "May I come in?" She wasn't afraid of the vampire that answered the door?

"May I help you? I think you may have the wrong room."

"Are you Eric Northman?"

"Yes." Don't like where this is going at all.


	3. Chapter 3

I stared at the woman at the door, trying to think how best to handle this.

"King DeCastro sent me. He said that you are an honored guest and that you prefer blonde donors."

Fuck. "Please come in."

"My name is Gina and I belong to the king. I am at your service while you are his guest."

She walked past me and sat on the bed and started to take off her shoes. Fuck. She unzipped the back of her dress and lowered the front, exposing a lacy black bra and an incredible pair of breasts. When she reached out to unbutton my pants, I gently grasped her wrist. "Gina, is it?"

"Yes Master."

"If you wouldn't mind, may I do this my way? I have certain…preferences."

"Of course."

"Excuse me just a moment." I walked into the bathroom and retrieved the little sewing kit from the tray by the sink and a box of tissue.

When I went back into the bedroom, she was lying back on the bed in her black bra and panties. She was exquisite. I sat beside her on the bed and said, "Just relax, Gina. I want to do something special to you first, okay? I promise it won't hurt too much. Is that alright?"

"Yes, Master."

I took one of the straight pins out of the little plastic kit and made two tiny pricks on her neck, then wiped my thumb on my tongue and closed the two tiny wounds by touching my thumb to the two drops of blood. Then I wiped my thumb on a tissue (honestly that was the hardest part. I hated to waste the blood.). She had a confused frown on her face, and said, "What was that?"

I leaned over her face and looked into her beautiful blue eyes and said, "Foreplay." She was easy to glamor. I walked back into the bathroom with my little supply kit, willed my erection away by picturing DeCastro sucking on it, and then unbuttoned my pants before returning to the bedroom.

"Thank you my dear. You were wonderful. You may finish dressing and go."

"You're very welcome. You were pretty wonderful yourself. If you are pleased, I will be back tomorrow night at the same time. Is that to your liking?"

"That would be lovely." And then I ushered her to the door, zipping her dress up the back as I gently pushed her out into the hall. "Goodnight Gina."

I walked through the lobby and along the end of the busy casino until I found the office doors in the corner of the enormous room. There was only a tiny fleur delis on the door, indicating that it was an entrance to DeCastro's offices. I knocked and was escorted by a curvaceous redheaded vampire whom I had never met down a long corridor and into yet another casino. This one was almost exclusively vampire I noticed. I spotted Gina at a craps table and nodded to her. She smiled brightly and gave me a little wave. Hopefully she gave a favorable report that I was being a good little vampire and biting the human offered to me. My conscience was clear that I'd been faithful to my love.

Sandy Sechrest approached me and we exchanged bows. She led me further into the room to a set of double doors. Behind those I found DeCastro seated at a huge banquet table surrounded by several vampires that I didn't know and a tall blond human man as well as some beautiful human women. DeCastro does have excellent taste in humans.

I bowed and he asked me to sit across the table from him. He offered me a lovely brunette. I passed politely, thanked him for Gina, and ordered a Royalty Blended from the waitress.

We chatted about the bar and he slid an envelope across the table to me. I opened it to find a ridiculously high number inside. I was expected to pay this fee for the month in spite of the fact that my bar was still not open and he knew it, the bastard. I nodded in agreement (as if I had a choice), and the conversation turned to trivial chit chat.

I endured a couple of hours of meeting DeCastro's entourage and their humans, but there was no mention of Sookie or her brother. I excused myself to go and gamble a little at the exclusive vampire tables, hoping to pick up on anything that may be of use in finding Sookie's brother. Nothing.

At the end of a very boring and unproductive evening, I went back up to my room. I didn't want to wake Sookie, and so just texted her. "No news yet. Miss and love you." I checked my messages and listened to Pam's report on the bar. It should be able to open in time for the weekend. Tonight had been a big dead end. I sensed nothing from DeCastro that would indicate any sort of trouble regarding Sookie's brother. If he were kidnapped by some other faction, wouldn't someone be demanding something by now? I made myself very visible all night tonight and no one seemed remotely interested in contacting me at all beyond a cordial nod. Maybe whoever had taken him had realized that he was a worthless piece of shit and had just put him out of his misery. It was all puzzling, but then I was out of time and out for the day.


	4. Chapter 4

The next two nights were basically identical to the first. Glamoring Gina and sending her away with pin pricks and a false memory of sex, mingling with the Vegas vampires, kissing DeCastro's slimy ass. Sookie and I had only exchanged messages, but finally spoke on the third night. She had no clues about her brother's disappearance. She had been working at Merlotte's, keeping her shields down, and still had no news. By the time I died for the day, I had decided that I was going home the following night. This trip was tiring me and getting me nowhere. I missed Sookie terribly and needed to see her. I wanted to find Sookie's brother because I knew she cared for him, but I really felt like this Vegas connection was a dead end. I booked my flight home for the following night.

The next night I woke to a tapping at my door. It was too early for Gina. I pulled on my pants with a huge smile on my face because I felt my beloved through the bond. I threw the door open and there stood my beautiful Sookie. She jumped on me, wrapping her legs around my waist. We were kissing passionately when I stepped back dragging her suitcase into the room and closed the door. After three nights of willing my erection away and sending the delicious looking Gina away, I was ravenous. I knelt down and lay Sookie on the floor, pulled her skirt up and her panties off and buried my face where I wanted it the most. She had two orgasms before I bit into her femoral artery and heard my name screamed out just the way I like it. She is scrumptious and all mine. When I picked her up, she was as limp as a rag doll. I placed her on the unmade bed and gently removed the rest of her clothes and then stood by the bed and watched as she sat up and removed my pants. Our eyes stayed locked as she took me into her mouth and showed me how much she had missed me. Then she lay back and opened her legs and reached for me. I took my time and told her how much I loved her and had missed her. It was slow and it was sweet, and when it was over, she just whispered into my ear, "I am yours." That's my girl.

I went into the bathroom to turn on the shower while Sookie started unpacking her suitcase. I had planned on flying home tonight but now that Sookie was here (and I was very pleasantly surprised about that), I figured we might as well stay for a night or two. I had no intentions though of getting anywhere near DeCastro with her. Maybe we should go to a different hotel. I thought I should stop her from unpacking if we're changing hotels and so walked back into the bedroom and stopped. She was standing at the open door with her hand on the knob, and the beautiful and untouched but not unmarked Gina was looking at my crotch with a puzzled expression. (Maybe she was wondering why it didn't look familiar.)

I stepped forward and said, "Thank you Gina. You are excused. Good night." as I closed the door. Sookie started furiously repacking her suitcase. I couldn't believe that we were going to have yet another monumental misunderstanding. I started off with, "Lover, please. Let me explain." The tears started and she just kept pushing me back every time I would get close to her. I told her that Gina was the king's gift but that nothing had happened. I explained the ritual of pricking her neck and glamoring her and then sending her out the door. (I left off the part about redressing her and opening my pants before emerging from the bathroom.) By vampire standards, it was about as innocent as you can get, but I could see that by Sookie's standards, it was not. She kept saying things like "ick" and "gross" and cried hard as she walked out the door with her suitcase. Fuck. I get absolutely no credit at all for all that restraint three nights in a row. Did she really expect me to insult the king? Tell him that I was being faithful to Sookie? Draw attention to her? I thought I handled it all pretty smoothly, but apparently I can't do anything right. Fuck.

I looked at the clock and decided that I could just make my flight if I hurried, so I threw my clothes in my bag and dressed and caught a cab to the airport.

I left a message for Sookie. "I am on my way to the airport. Please wait for me there. We need to talk. I'm sorry you're upset."

I got a text back: I'm sorry you're upset is not an apology.

I kept calling, but got no answer right up to when my flight was taking off. My last message said, "I'm taking off. I'll call when I land in L.A. to change planes. Where are you? I love you."

I turned my phone on as soon as we landed. Nothing. Waiting for my connection, I left another message, "Lover, you're right. I'm sorry that what I did upset you, and I'm also sorry that I did it. I was trying to do the right thing with that girl and avoid trouble with the king, but I should have told you about it and I should have thought how you would feel about it before I decided how to handle it. I am sorry. It was nothing to me. But I see that it is something to you. I would never be unfaithful to you. But I see that from your perspective, this is upsetting. Please forgive me Sookie. I love you and don't want to hurt you, lover. My flight lands at 4:15. Please call me and tell me where you are."

When I landed in Shreveport, I turned my phone on and saw a text: Call when you land. I think Jason is dead. All is forgiven. I love you.

I called her and she answered. She was crying so hard I had a hard time understanding her. I just kept saying "Where are you, lover?" She said she was at the airport outside of baggage claim. She must have landed shortly before I had. I raced downstairs to try and find her. I kept her on the phone, saying, "I'm here. I'm coming." I walked out the door and saw her across the street. Our eyes met and she lowered the phone from her ear and started to run towards me. I saw the cab and flew to her, but even I was too late. She landed on the ground about ten feet in front of the cab. I heard a woman scream as I picked Sookie up and instinctively bit into my wrist, but I knew she was gone. Blood was everywhere. I couldn't tell where it was all coming from, but there was a single drop of it trickling from the corner of her mouth, and I lost the feel of her through the bond. It was as if a switch had been turned off and there was a gaping open hole of silence in my head. I was aware of people around me, but I growled at anyone who came close and they stepped back. This was the conversation we had not had. What am I supposed to do, Sookie? What would you have me do? My wrist had healed, but blood dripped onto her face mixing with her tears and I knew it was coming from my eyes. I looked up and searched the sky for an answer. I knew I had only seconds to make my decision. I brushed the blood from her face with my sleeve and kissed her lips and whispered into her mouth, "Please forgive me." And then I bit down again and put my wrist to her mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

I guess I should probably tell you that no, of course, I didn't turn Sookie. She's fine. Asleep upstairs actually. I'll go up and check on her when I leave her my daily note on the bathroom mirror.

Yes, I know we really need to have the talk about the whole turning issue, and we will. It's something I think about every day. (I guess that's pretty obvious after reading that story.) There are many big issues we need to discuss obviously. I want to live with her, to keep her with me all the time, but she's not ready for that conversation either. If there's one thing I have learned in my thousand some odd years on this earth it is patience. Some things are worth waiting for, and Sookie most certainly is one.

We've had such a great second week here at the beach house. After that little misunderstanding about the phone conversation with Pam that Sookie overheard and her near getaway (thank gods she fell asleep before she could actually leave), we have been getting along great and things couldn't be better. In fact, you won't believe this, but tomorrow night, we're not flying home as planned, but driving to Asheville for a week. I was shocked that Sookie said yes to that. But the bar won't be ready to reopen for another ten days or so, so I wasn't in any rush to get back. And I hope you're sitting down for this one. Sookie let me put five thousand dollars into her bank account. I told her it was silly for her to spend her savings to pay bills while she was on vacation with me, and she actually let me put a little cushion in there for her, just in case. She kept saying that she probably wouldn't ever actually use it, but the fact that she let me make the deposit was quite a big step for her. I was shocked. I think she is really starting to accept the whole thing about the I am yours and you are mine stuff. I love her and it's ridiculous for her to worry about anything, especially money when I have…well…a shitload of it.

She is planning on going back to work for the shifter when we get home. I haven't been able to convince her to make that change. But that's okay. One step at a time. I did make an offer on the house and we should get a response in two days. Hopefully, they'll just make a counter offer or even accept the original one. I found out that the owner is not a vampire, which I assumed was the case because of the light tight bedroom. Apparently that was put in because a family member of the owner was recently turned, and the family continues to vacation together here. That's actually good news. I think a human would be more likely to sell than a vampire. They can be so stubborn.

So I guess you're wondering about the whole story you've just read. Well, here's what happened. I was reading online one night and found this fanfiction website. I had never heard of it, but it is quite something. Anybody can just write a story and post it, and all these people read it and leave their reviews. So I thought hey, why not. Why don't I write a story and post it. So every night this week after Sookie fell asleep, I came downstairs and lay in the hammock and wrote on my laptop. I started thinking what would happen if things with Sookie started heading south. I don't mean things between us, but you know, just other shit. Then I decided to indulge my own little fantasy about turning her, and before I knew it, I had this little story written and posted on that site. It's been a great way to pass the time on vacation while Sookie is asleep. And it's completely anonymous. I know what you're thinking, and don't worry, I thought to delete the chapters on my laptop after posting them on the website. If Sookie knew what I've been writing, especially about the whole turning fantasy thing, she'd…well…she wouldn't be happy. Once she and I have had a serious conversation about the turning issue, I just might show her the story. Maybe it will help her to see it from my perspective. I'm also more careful about talking on the phone if I sense that she's awake. It's not that I'm hiding anything from her, I'm just trying to avoid another fucked-up misunderstanding like the one last week, that's all.

I should be getting upstairs if I want to have time to write Sookie's note. I'll let you know how things are going with us again soon. And maybe I'll even write another little story sometime for you. Who knows. But I've got to go for now. Time to die for another day.


	6. Chapter 6

Sookie and I have been here in Asheville now for five nights. It really is a charming little city. If you haven't been here lately, I highly recommend it.

I was here in the 1970's and I liked it then. The surrounding mountains are what make it so beautiful, really. Apparently while other cities were booming after the Great Depression, Asheville didn't have a lot of money or growth. The result of that fact is that the downtown architecture wasn't spoiled by bad taste and the old buildings have helped the city to retain a classic look and feel to it. I quite like it.

Since we loved our beach house so much at Pawley's Island, we decided to rent a little house here as well, rather than stay at a hotel. I found this place online. It's a small rustic cabin on a mountain, but only a quick five minute drive away from the center of downtown. One side of the house is a stone wall, set up against the mountain and there's a light tight room attached to it where I can safely spend my days. Sookie takes the rental car and drives all over the area exploring during the day. When I wake, we lie together in bed in our cozy cabin while she tells me about her adventures and we look at her pictures on the laptop. The mountains look stunning in the daylight. Then we map out Sookie's plan for the following day together.

At night we drive into the downtown area to eat and enjoy the nightlife. I was amazed at the number of quaint but very sophisticated restaurants and clubs. The streets are teeming with people even on week nights, and it's easy to find almost any kind of live music at the different little night clubs and cafes. There seems to be a rather large supe population, and the local humans have adapted and accepted them better than I would have expected from a smallish southern city. Sookie and I have spotted quite a few other supe/human couples and no one seems to take notice that we're so different.

Sookie has been able to spend some time with her new friend Danielle. She works at a little shop in an area called the Biltmore Village that has unique stores, many of which feature the work of local artists. This area is rich with folk art and music, and there seems to be a large number of artists living and working in Asheville and the surrounding towns. When I called to check in with the local area sheriff, he seemed unusually friendly for a vampire and even went so far as to invite Sookie and me to hear his bluegrass band perform at a local barbeque restaurant. I'll admit that I expected some sort of hillbilly music, but when I looked the band up online, I learned that they were the first all vamp band to ever win a Grammy. And they were quite good. Sookie's friend Danielle and her husband met us at the restaurant and we had great time.

The first day here, I sent Sookie out to buy us some clothes more suitable to our now mountain vacation. We can still use some of our beachwear, but we needed a few more things. I was so pleased when she took the cash from me without even blinking, and came home with a fairly substantial selection of clothes for the two of us.

I didn't think things could get more romantic than they were at the beach until we made love in front of the fire in our cabin on the first night (and all the other nights as well actually). One night after we'd been out to eat and to listen to some jazz, we stopped by the cabin to pick up some blankets and I flew Sookie up to the top of the mountain in my arms. We found a clearing that overlooked the city and made love under the stars with the twinkling city lights beyond. It was quite spectacular. It was there that I decided we needed to have one of the many talks that I had lined up in my head. I told her more about the phone conversation with Pam that she had overheard at the beach, and how I do respect her desire to remain a human, but that I am conflicted about turning her in the event of her accidental death. She knows how much I love her and would never want to lose her, but I told her that I would suffer continuing on without her if it was truly what she was certain that she wanted. But I need to hear that certainty from her. She mostly listened and I told her to take her time before she gave me an answer. Saying that it's an important decision is quite an understatement.

When we got home, I showed Sookie my little fanfiction story that I had written, and watched the tears roll down her cheeks as she read the ending. She put her hand on my face and said, "I think I'm starting to understand." Since then, she has joked with me about it ("I can't believe you killed my brother, just like that!"), and mentions Gina at every opportunity, especially sexually ("Oh you want me to do that? Why don't you just get _Gina _to do it?"). I love to see that twinkle in her eye. It gives me joy to see her tease me, but I know that beneath that lies a dark decision waiting to me made, and I dread her answer.


	7. Chapter 7

On what turned out to be our last full night in Asheville, Sookie and I went out to celebrate buying our beach house. The owner had made a counter offer two days after my initial offer, and I had written a second offer immediately. When I woke that night, Sookie was standing by the bed wearing a huge smile (and nothing else). The realtor had called to say that the second offer had been accepted and we were in escrow. (I asked that he call Sookie's phone if he had news before dusk.) We first had a private little celebration in bed and then showered and dressed to go out to dinner.

As luck would have it, there were no renters in the beach house at that time, and the owner invited us to stay there for a few nights while the inspection took place and so that we could hammer out some details. (For example, I also wanted to purchase the furnishings, and we needed to agree to a price for that as well.)

When I woke on our seventh night in Asheville, Sookie had us all packed up and we said goodbye to our romantic mountain cabin and drove back to the beach. She woke up as we pulled into the drive at Pawley's, and I carried her over the threshold, both of us grinning and laughing as if we were starting our honeymoon. Maybe we were.

The following morning Sookie took care of meeting with the realtor and inspector since it was daytime. That was the first day that I had locked the bedroom door from the inside since other humans would be in the house. When I emerged after waking, I found a happy and beautiful Sookie lying in the hammock thumbing through the favorable inspection report. She had also met with the owner's son who lives in a nearby town and they had gone from room to room discussing the furnishings and he had presented her with a figure that I was more than happy to pay. After making the hammock rock in our own special way and showering, I called the realtor to tell him that I agreed to the purchase price of the furnishings and accepted the inspection report, and we could close in two weeks since I would be paying cash.

Sookie and I went to Frank's Restaurant and toasted to our new home on our favorite beach. We spent most of that night lying in each other's arms on the sofa, talking about the house and the future. I told her that her name would be on the title and that I would take care of the maintenance expenses and taxes, but that I wanted her to benefit from any rental income. She started to fight me on that, but I was insistent. She softened somewhat when I told her that she didn't even have to rent it out if she didn't want to, but instead could send friends and family here for vacations. She liked that idea. I also told her that in the event of my final death, she would not have immediate legal claim to the house if it were in my name. I told her that I had already set up a trust for her in case I finally die, and that I would naturally add this house to the list of assets that she would inherit, but that red tape may prevent her from having access to the house right away. I said that I didn't like the idea of the house being tied up in legal paperwork, and that it would make me feel better if it were simply in her name. We didn't talk about how much time she and I would spend here. That felt like a bigger conversation best left for another night. I didn't say it, of course, but I was ready to just move here and stay forever. I knew that she needed some more time to adjust to such a commitment.

Sookie started to ask about the trust, and her face grew more serious than I liked. I told her that I knew it wasn't a pleasant subject, but that we have to be practical. And just as married couples have to make wills to protect each other's security, I had to make certain that Sookie was provided for if I were to meet my final death. (I had set this up shortly after recovering my memory when I felt that the new regime could easily threaten my continued existence, and I realized that I had inadvertently cheated Sookie out of a promise of security when the curse was removed and my plan to stay with her vanished along with my memory.) I could see that she was disturbed a bit by the conversation, but the fact that she didn't really argue with me or just leave the room in a huff felt like progress. I knew that our future was a difficult subject for us for many reasons, especially after our recent conversation on the mountain about her decision whether or not to be turned if accidentally killed

The mood lightened considerably when we went to bed later and made love to the sound of the ocean. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, and I loved to see that. I look forward to many nights just like this one, watching her sleeping peacefully, safe and warm in the bedroom of our beach house.


	8. Chapter 8

On our last night in our now new home (well, as soon as escrow closes, it will be ours anyway), I woke alone to the sound of rain. I could feel Sookie nearby, but she seemed sad, pensive maybe. I found a letter leaning beside the framed sandcastle picture beside my bed. Had I needed to breathe, I would have held my breath as I opened it and began to read.

My Darling Eric,

This has been one of the hardest decisions that I have ever had to make. Since I found out that there really are vampires in the world, I knew firmly in my heart that I would never want to be one. Of that I am certain and have been since day one. I never expected to fall in love with one, and yet even knowing you and loving you the way I do, I am still clear on my decision.

I know that you would want me to be turned so that we could stay together, even though we both know that there are no guarantees that our relationship would actually last. I know however, that I don't want an eternity as a vampire. But when you told me that you would gladly suffer forever from the loss of my life rather than go against my wishes, those were the most selfless words I have ever heard from another being, human or vampire. It was in that instant that I knew that I, too, would gladly give up the forever I had planned so that you wouldn't suffer. I see now that that's what people do when they truly love each other.

So, my answer is this. No, I don't want to be turned now. I don't foresee wanting that in my future either. But in the event of my unexpected death, I am asking you to please do what you need to do to keep us together. I don't want you to feel conflicted about it. Just to be clear and certain, I am asking you to turn me if I die from an accidental death.

I guess this is kind of the supe equivalent of a last will and testament, only I'm leaving you the possibility of my future life as a vampire rather than my worldly possessions. My wish is that I don't die accidentally but live a full and happy human life by your side if you'll have me. I love you so much.

Faithfully yours,

Sookie

I opened the door and went downstairs. Sookie wasn't in the house. I closed my eyes to feel her, and followed that feeling out into the pouring rain. It was windy and the huge waves were crashing against the shore as I looked in both directions along the beach. I saw her far down the beach sitting in the sand close to the water's edge looking out to the stormy sea and I could feel that she was crying. I knew when she felt me as well, as I saw her head turn and then she stood and started to run towards me. I ran to her until our bodies met and she was in my arms and we were both kissing each other as if it were the last kiss we'd ever have on this earth. She gave a little hop into my arms as I lowered us both to the sand and began tearing at our clothes. It was rough and passionate as the waves lapped at our feet and the rain soaked us. We both cried out as I entered her, and I almost immediately bit into her shoulder. We clung to each other and climaxed together after a very few strong and powerful strokes. She was crying and I just kept saying I love you so much over and over. Afterwards, we lay there and kissed and held each other until she began to shiver. So I scooped her up in my arms and carried her back to the house as she leaned her head against my chest.


	9. Chapter 9

Once we were showered, warm and dry, Sookie and I spent most of our last night at the beach house talking about her letter and her decision. We said a lot of things that needed saying, and there were a lot of tears, but in the end we both felt that we had made considerable progress. We are both ready to make a huge sacrifice for the other's happiness, and like she said in the letter, that's what people who love each other do.

After Sookie fell asleep, I packed my suitcase, called the local sheriff to register as a new homeowner in her area, and called Pam to tell her we were coming home. Fangtasia was ready to open in a couple of nights, and I promised Pam that once things are running smoothly with the bar and escrow has closed, Sookie and I want her to consider being our first guest in the house for a hard-earned vacation. There are a handful of weeks in the coming months for which we already have rental agreements (set up by the previous owner), and we will honor those, of course, but then Sookie needs to decide whether or not she wants to continue renting the house out or not. Naturally, I'm hoping she'll want to move here or at least stay for extended periods of time.

The rain had stopped by the time I took a walk on the beach. It was close to dawn. I thought about everything that has happened in recent weeks. It's hard to believe that only a month ago, I was sitting at my desk every night tortured over my feelings for Sookie, convinced that I needed to stay away from her for her own sake. I know now that coming here was the best decision I've made in a long time because it gave us the privacy to get through some of the issues that we have, and yes, we still have a long way to go, but I am still very pleased with how far we've come. I feel like we've had the chance here to build a solid foundation and to learn to trust each other so much more. This is the fresh start that I was hoping for after Sookie's injury, and it seems to be exactly what we both needed.

I am also amazed that I began this journey not knowing how to find this beach on a map, and now I am ready to make it my home. In some ways I am dreading returning to Shreveport. I dread dealing with the new regime, and I'll have to continue to downplay my relationship with Sookie to the king. She and I still live apart there, and that does not please me, but these are all problems that can be dealt with, and she is certainly worth the trouble. I will focus on the small things like surprising her with the hammock on her front porch, telling her how much I love her every night, reminding her that we now have this home as a symbol of our bond, and that no matter what the future holds, whether our time together will be long or short, we will always have the memories of our lives shared here away from the rest of the world.

I returned to the house with only enough time for Sookie's daily note and then I was in my bed to die for the day. My last thought before dawn took me was how for the first time in many centuries I now look forward to waking again every night and it's all because of Sookie. What can I say? I just love her.

XXX

A/N: Please enjoy the next story in my series, One Year Later. Check my profile for the sequence after that. Enjoy!


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